Is it too early for this? Hoosier Frost

With a few radio stations already playing Christmas music on the weekends, I thought I would go ahead and debut a site I put together with a great assortment of Christmas music for your listening pleasure. By clicking on the "Hoosier Frost" picture at the left, you can enjoy a selection of holiday music that is very unique. Enjoy!

Final Potato

This is my last group of pictures from the photo-shoot at Potato Creek State Park; although with the weather finally turning more Fall-like, I may shoot more this weekend. You might notice that sycamore and beech trees are featured a fair number of times-these are my favorite trees. Although understanding the characteristics of all the trees God made can make you appreciate every one. I like Sycamores because of their gnarly appearance, the striking contrast their white bark can provide in a landscape and the enormous leaves they produce (they should be the state tree I've long contended-we don't sing "through the tulip trees, for me..."). I also really like the beech tree. If you see a large old beech you know that you are in an ancient hardwood forest; the twig structure is also unique as is the contrasting smooth grey bark. You might also notice I try to use the blue sky as a backdrop or "canvas" for some of the pictures. I actually discovered this technique when I was about 12 years old. Sometimes it works, other times-not so much.

Potato 3

Potato 2

Here is round two from photo day at Potato Creek

Potato Creek in the Fall

After several attempts with a rather uncooperative Mother Nature, a buddy and I went out to do some photo-shooting yesterday. The sun and shadowing was perfect and even though most of the leaves seemed to vanish overnight, we still got some great shots. These were all taken at Potato Creek State Park near North Liberty, with the exception of the corn crib.

This too, is what I love about working for myself. This will probably be like 1 of 4 posts with fall pics.

From the Front Porch

We seldom use our front porch....it just seems too noisy. But, last weekend we raked some leaves and the kids played a little. So, here are some scenes from our front porch:

Reggie Wayne and a random pop rockstar hung out on our porch just before they went begging the neighbors for candy. You can tell that the porch is next on the agenda for restoration on this old house.

This little tree is a Shumard Oak my son and I planted about 6 years ago. We got it from the Arbor Day Foundation when it was a whip about 18" tall and its about 6 1/2' today. It is more typically found in central Indiana and south, but it was said to be a fast grower and did well in urban areas with deep red fall foliage. My son had a leaf collection due this fall and he put into the book a "Shumard Oak".....most kids probably just put "oak". I'm a terrible influence.

Happy Halloween

May your head never be used as a jack-o-lantern model,

May you never receive rocks for trick-or-treating,

May your pumpkin patch always be found most sincere,

And may the Great Pumpkin fill you with Halloween Cheer!



Happy Halloween!

Hauntings: Local lore #2

The legend of Devil's Lake

Devil's Lake? I'm surprised at how many people have never heard of this little lake in our area; I happened to have grown up with it. When I was a kid and went fishing with my grandfather he often received permission to fish a number of places on private property. Devil's Lake was owned by an old friend just off of an old Indian trail a few miles from grandpa's farm.

Devil's Lake was really more like a bog or sinkhole. The land around it is gently rolling until about 150' from the lakeshore where it drops off considerably and was densely wooded all around. And it isn't particularly large like a lake, just maybe a large pond with a very swampy edge. As if the name wasn't foreboding enough, I remember Gramp's driving the truck to the point where the bank descended from which we had to walk the remaining way over old wood plank walks. The trees branched out across the walks and I remember well snakes rushing out from beneath the planks or sunning themselves on the walk or on the low hanging branches overhead. The farmer kept an old rowboat tied to the shore that we would have to empty of snakes prior to climbing in to shove off and fish. This was not my favorite fishing spot, but you could pull scads of bluegill out of the deep, deep waters (attempts have been made to measure the depths but to no avail).

Devil's Lake was the name given to it by the Indians. Legend states that a brave was one time resting along the shore under the shade of surrounding trees when he witnessed a monster rise out of the murky waters and devour a deer grazing at the edge of the lake. I'm glad that I didn't know the legend when I was a kid. Lake Manitou in Rochester has a similar legend surrounding it, but with a creature more like Nessy.

Unfortunately Devil's Lake has fallen victim to the suburbanization of our rural countryside. Not long before my grandfather passed away the owner of Devil's Lake stopped by the truckstop and asked him if he'd be interested in buying his farm. Gramps, not recognizing his old friend, said no only to find out the old guy died a few months later and the property sold. The farmhouse and barn were razed and a large modular was brought in. They graded out the bank of Devil's Lake, removed all the trees and added a sandy beach they could access from their walk-out basement.

Environmentally I think that the lake was probably a rarity. Now it's just someones private beach and the devilish ambiance is gone.

Hauntings: local lore #1

Since we're coming up to Halloween, I thought I would give you a couple of local lore kinds of creepy stories to put you in the mood.

There is a fabled old house in town whose condition itself is enough to give one the jitters. The stories behind the house add to the mystery and intrigue. The story of this property extends back to 1857 when the property was purchased by a German man named Hoham. Hoham created the first lager brewery in Northern Indiana and had his own saloon in town from which he sold his product.

Giant brick vaults to hold the beer were constructed on the property with the old brewery building over the top of the vaults. Fresh water in the distilling process was pumped up from the river at the base of the hill the brewery sat upon. The story passed down from the son of Hoham, the original proprietor, to his granddaughter (a woman who only recently passed away) was that Hoham assisted runaway slaves find safe passage to Michigan, using the Michigan Road as their general route. The slaves were said to take safe harbor in the dark and damp brick vaults.

The brick vaults were still in good condition the last time they were accessed and photographed in the late 1950's. It is believed that they are still at least partially intact. As to the plausibility that Hoham was an agent in the Underground Railroad, we know that he was a Lincoln Republican, running for office in 1860. We also know that he had the financial means to provide safe passage, including a transport route he used to take beer to Michigan City-a major destination point for escaped slaves as an entry point to the safe state of Michigan. We also know that in the state's published findings of the Underground Railroad, our community featured prominently in having safe houses for escaped slaves. Add the corroborating testimony of Hoham's great granddaughter and it seems in all likelihood a true story.

But the mystery around the Hoham house doesn't end there. In the brewery's heyday this large brick house was constructed in about 1880. The Stick-style house is unique in its architectural style and is one of the most impressive homes built in our area during the 1800's. However, as the brewery burned and family moved elsewhere the property transferred in ownership and later became a speak-easy during prohibition times. The house, subjected to constant police raids, became known as "the Pines". And wouldn't you know it, but the infamous character recently featured in film, John Dillinger, was said to have lodged here. A large third floor ballroom accessed by a narrow staircase flanked by dual chimneys arching together overhead would seem like the perfect private respite for a tommy-gun toting bank robber. Dillinger's bank robbing spree had all of Indiana in a panic.

Lake County Courthouse, Crown Point....famed Dillinger landmark

I've often passed by the house on the hill, situated on a major street curve, and hope for the best. It has been in rough condition for as long as I can remember. Our preservation non-profit group had created a purchase agreement with the owners a few years back but they rescinded on the very last day. Some people think the place is haunted. It certainly has that ambiance. I just think it is a great piece of history unique to our community and tied into our national identity through the likes of Dillinger and the Underground Railroad. Hopefully it will find salvation soon before it becomes itself a ghost.

a Cabin lurks beneath?

Lakeville Cabin?

I have had my eyes more attuned to spotting potential log cabin structures lurking beneath layers of asphalt, aluminum and sometimes vinyl siding. This bizarre sixth "sense" I have developed has come from two fairly recent discoveries of log buildings in Marshall County, both in West Township. One is sitting disassembled in a barn....dangerous prospect since I've been looking for one.

Cook Cabin, West Twp., Marshall County

I've also had plenty of opportunities to acquaint myself with log structures in watching the Boots-Myers Cabin near Argos, IN be taken down and reassembled at Pottawatomie Wildlife Park near Tippecanoe, IN and also the Linden Cabin be relocated from the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to the city of Portage. Recently I inspected one that is for sale locally.

Typical cabin structure with a single window right of door

Simple early settlement cabins were normally constructed of poplar logs in full or half-dove tail joinery at the corners. They were usually not larger than about 16'-20' long by 12'-18' deep. They normally had a loft accessed by a set of stairs with "winders" in one of the corners, usually opposite the side with the front door. Depending on their size they were typically one or two rooms; most of the early cabins I am familiar with locally had just the single first floor room. The front door would normally be centered, or near centered, with either a single window to one side or a pair flanking the doorway. There would also typically be a small window centered in each gable for the loft. Finally, the overall proportion is usually a give-away with a fairly small footprint juxtaposed with slightly taller than normal walls to accommodate the loft, but maintaining a fairly minimal slope to the roof. And, despite our romantic idea of a log cabin, were covered with wood siding as soon as the pioneer could afford it.

Boots-Myers Cabin undergoing restoration near Tippecanoe

So, given all of that mind numbing information, the last several trips to South Bend on the Historic Michigan Road (U.S. 31) through Lakeville sent my cabin-radar up as I studied this little mint green metal sided house. The "Lakeville Cabin" is nearly identical to the Boots-Myers Cabin, considered to be the oldest structure in Marshall County constructed about 1836 if I am correct. The cool thing is that if it is indeed a log structure hiding under that siding (minus the additions to the right & left) it may well be the only log cabin on the Historic Michigan Road......although I have been studying another structure north of Argos recently. The Michigan Road would have been constructed through Lakeville in about 1836, probably dating the cabin to about that time.

I'm anxious to make some contacts in Lakeville-the little place looks vacant. And I am still hoping for a cabin in the woods someday-that's all I ask. For more Historic Michigan Road information go to http://www.historicmichiganroad.org/

UPDATE

Partner in crime, blogger Jim Grey, reminded me of this cabin he shot in Ripley County along the Michigan Road. Oops. Well, now maybe we have two.

Looking for a Hail Mary Pass

The kids were off for fall break so we were looking for things to do and knowing my football-maniac son is concerned that the College Football Hall of Fame is leaving Indiana for Georgia and he may never see it-we spent the afternoon in South Bend.

We've never been to the Hall. We've sat at the South Bend Chocolate Company and stared out at it and have walked passed it on a number of occasions, but never visited it. It actually is fairly well done and after visiting and watching the kids play on the turf behind it, made me realize South Bend is about to lose something pretty cool from their downtown.

There have been a number of critics of the College Football Hall of Fame, along with Coveleski stadium...most of those comments center on former mayor and former governor Joe Kernan. And while the attendance numbers just didn't rack up for the Hall, there is no denying it was good for the downtown, at least as a part of the city's downtown rejuvenation plans.

I recommend the city look into some kind of combination sports-themed major restaurant/bar and possibly a sports equipment and clothing retailer (kayaks too!) with interactive training areas. Also work in a first class gym for people who need to work-out on the run. And work with Notre Dame to establish at least a small sports museum to get game-day visitors still coming downtown. The building is manageable enough in size to combine all of these adequately. No charge for these ideas Mayor Lucke.

But I do hope that they keep the green. It was remarkable to me how many people used it that weren't even going into the Hall. It's a great and unusual feature to have a partial football field in the middle of your downtown and fully accessible to the public. You've got to keep this!

We warmed up with hot coffee from the South Bend Chocolate Factory's downtown restaurant. Kudos to them too....probably as much a part of the downtown's turn-around as the Hall. The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and downtown South Bend has all kinds of proof-it is leaps and bounds better than what I remember it being during the late 80's/early 90's. That's what visionary leaders can do for their communities.

Just ask Mayor Rea of Mishawaka.....and then go for a drive along the river near downtown. This massive public works undertaking (by a Republican nonetheless) has been years in the making under Bob Beuter with Rea as his planning director. Best wishes to downtown South Bend...losing the Hall will be a blow, but you've set enough in motion it should only be a minor setback. I do hope negotiations will keep Rockne put.....and how about Notre Dame beating Boston College?

Trivia.....did you know that President Teddy Roosevelt almost banned the game of football? Numerous deaths (what do you expect with just a thin piece of leather between your skull and several hundred pounds of mass bearing down on you?) were occurring across college campuses from the American sport so Teddy got serious and told the colleges to put stricter rules in place to end the bloodbath. The Gipper also was found in the Hall.

trash talk

Ever have someone say something to you that sounds so stupid you hardly know how to respond?

The family was at a public event today, possibly one of my projects I am most proud of in river city, and as we walked into the building I noticed a line of people stringing in so I held the door for them. I'm not mentioning this looking for accolades, courtesy and respect are some of those core values my folks instilled in me, I mention this only because the mayor of river city happened to be one of those for which I held the door. I shook his hand and said hello and he then asked "how you like those trash cans?"

I said..."uh, yeah, they look real nice" as I rolled my eyes.

I'm sure he was trying to get my goat, possibly over the protest, but what a stupid thing to say. So a constituent is upset over how trashy you've just made river city and you get all coy and say something stupid like that? Would you make comments like that to others who think you've messed up?

This vaguely reminded me of when I met with State Rep. Heim for coffee and he brushed off my comments on daylight savings time by saying how his constituents were really going to enjoy it because they could get in an extra round of golf. He was defeated a few months later.

As we were playing today with the kids out in the front lawn in a huge pile of leaves I looked down our street to an elderly lady's home. She is choosing to leave her giant tote in the public right-of-way in front of her home near the street because it is too much to haul around. It looks like crap, but do you blame her?

River city's totes look remarkably similar to Jeffersonville's....you know, the town whose city attorney had an overnight stay in a big green box. Time to take out the trash folks.